Summary: Kashiefa Achmat, a social justice and housing rights activist, fearlessly challenges policies that foster poverty, injustice, and inequality among vulnerable women, children, workers, and the unemployed. She currently leads the Housing Assembly, a social justice movement advocating for proper service delivery, housing equality, and decent accommodations for all in South Africa. Achmat’s work has not been without challenges: Having endured police brutality, threats, and gang violence, she has endangered her health, family, and life for the sake of others.

Profile: Kashiefa Achmat’s activism started when she was a shop steward challenging inequality and unfair labor practices against black and coloured workers. Achmat realised that during negotiations for salaries, housing was not given priority.

“As a shop steward,” she says, “I realised that when negotiations were happening with the unions and we put our mandate forward, housing was always the last on the agenda . . . . I realised that in the workplace, workers are not equipped enough to know the importance of housing. I always say housing is a priority because I believe workers are coming from the community.”

In 2011, Achmat joined the Housing Assembly, an organization that promotes social justice; in 2020, she was elected as the organization’s Chairperson. To raise awareness of housing rights and to build a strong and well-coordinated movement, the organisation’s main strategy is to engage the community: “We do the basic things . . .. We go door-to-door and we connect with people.”

The Housing Assembly brings together residents living in Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP) houses, backyards, occupation centers, temporary relocation areas (TRA), rental units, social housing, and bank housing. “We know we bring all these people together,” says Achmat. “This is what makes Housing Assembly special. There is no discrimination. It's not just about housing. We want a proper house with parks, playground, schools, clinics, proper roads, and other important services. Everybody needs to live in a decent house.”

In 2020, when Covid struck South Africa and many other parts of the world, Achmat and her colleagues stood with the poor, the evicted, and those facing the threat of eviction. When Ocean View residents were evicted by the City of Cape Town during the lockdown period, the Housing Assembly stood with the victims of eviction: “We helped a resident to put back structures after the illegal evictions. She was a single mom. It's not easy when you are a single mom and you face police brutality during the second or third day of the week.”

Achmat and her colleagues took the matter straight to the High Court, to challenge the city for unlawful eviction: “We knew,” says Achmat, “that during Covid everyone was supposed to be indoors; why should people be evicted? We approached the High Court on the brutality of law enforcement and these evictions. And we took them on. This is the first time in the history of the Housing Assembly to challenge the city and litigate against them.”

The Court eventually determined that no one should be evicted during Covid—a victory for the Housing Assembly and thousands of South Africa residents.

There were more negative results of Covid, however; many poor communities were on the verge of starvation. Achmat and her colleagues stepped up, establishing soup kitchens in those communities. The Housing Assembly has also provided food and clothing when citizens have lost property due to floods and fires.

In August 2022, Achmat teamed with other organisations to launch the PatrickMustFall Campaign. “Patrick” is a symbolic name for patriarchy. The campaign, which was launched in Constantia, a rich neighborhood, was meant to protest poverty and hunger among women and children in the midst of plenty. Over 50 people participated in the protest.

More activism: Following calls from residents for her to assist those who had been on a housing waiting list for over three decades, Achmat and her team launched the Waiting List Campaign, which sought to ensure that those who had been on the housing waiting list for years or their offsprings are given housing units. Achmat: “You know people have been on the waiting list for many years since 1990. Elderly people were not getting houses. Others were getting two or three houses. This was through corruption. When you move into a new development, you are not supposed to have another house. Projects were done, but people on the waiting list did not benefit . . .. We took the city on.”

Several days after having confronted the city, Achmat learned that a tenant who had been on the waiting list for 37 years was told to move into the new RDP Housing Development in Manenberg. And the children of a woman who had died also got to live in their mother’s RDP housing unit. With the help of the Legal Resource Centre, Achmat and her colleagues had achieved housing for those who were on the waiting list between 1990 and 2006. “For us,” says Achmat, “that was a huge victory.”

Today, besides engaging with the city, Achmat and her colleagues continue to carry out awareness campaigns to educate Capetonians on their rights to decent housing and shelter: “By challenging the city and the rent office and directly engaging with them, people stay in these houses. You know at times it looks small, but it's big for people when they live in fear and in a state where their life is being threatened.”

Achmat said she is still engaging with the city regarding people who stay in rental units for over 50 years, and she is doing it by cooperating with community residents: “We are walking the journey with the communities . . .. That is how we do it, and that is how I believe it needs to be done.”

Kashiefa Achmat continues to advocate for those people who are in need of advocacy. As she says, “I am a person that doesn't keep quiet when I see something wrong. I raise my voice. I don't mince my words. I say it as it is.”